Institute Physicians Honored

Physicians at The Parkinson's Instituteare Honored with Major Awards

The Parkinson's Institute - the nation's leader in Parkinson's disease (PD) research and patient care - is pleased to announce that Dr. J. William Langston and Dr. Caroline M. Tanner have been honored with major awards of recognition for their work in the Parkinson's disease field.

Dr. Langston receives The Pritzker Award

Dr. Langston - CEO, Scientific Director and clinician at The Parkinson's Institute - has been awarded the Robert M. Pritzker Award by the Michael J. Fox Foundation for his lifetime leadership in the Parkinson's disease (PD) field. The award was presented by Mr. Fox in New York City on April 6, 2012.

In accepting the Pritzker Award, Dr. Langston remarked, "As someone who has spent their career working on Parkinson's disease, I am honored and inspired to have been selected for the Pritzker Prize. Having had the opportunity of knowing Bob Pritzker makes this Prize all the more meaningful. Indeed, it adds a powerful incentive to all of us here at the Parkinson's Institute to accelerate our efforts more than ever to solve this most difficult disease."

Dr. Langston founded the Parkinson's Institute to create an environment that takes an integrated approach to basic and clinical research and patient care. The Parkinson's Institute is the only independent, nonprofit Institute in the United States that combines patient care and research. The Institute is focused solely on Parkinson's disease - including patient care and research into the cause of and cure for this disease.

During his career, Dr. Langston has made fundamental contributions to the understanding of the role of environmental factors in the onset and progression of Parkinson's disease. Since his landmark discovery of the biological effects of MPTP, a neurotoxin widely used in the study of Parkinson's disease, Dr. Langston continues to work toward a cure through research on the study of mechanisms of neuronal degeneration, the etiology of Parkinson's disease, and the development of new strategies to slow or halt disease progression. He is the author or co­-author of more than 350 publications in the field that have lead to greater understanding of Parkinson's disease and progress towards a cure.

This prestigious prize is named in honor of the late Robert A. Pritzker, a renowned industrialist, entrepreneur and philanthropist who died from Parkinson's disease.

Dr. Tanner Honored as 2012 Movement Disorders Researcher

Dr. Tanner, Director of Clinical Research and clinician at The Parkinson's Institute, has been awarded the 2012 Movement Disorders Research Award by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

Notedly, Dr. Tanner is the first woman to ever receive this prestigious award.

"I am honored to receive this recognition from the American Academy of Neurology, an organization that has been important to my career since my residency," said Dr. Tanner. "With my colleagues at the Parkinson's Institute and our many collaborators world-wide, I have dedicated my career to understanding the causes of Parkinson's disease and to developing better treatments, with the future goal of applying this knowledge to prevent or cure Parkinson's disease. Parkinson's disease is already the second most common neurodegenerative disease in developed countries. It will become increasingly common worldwide in this century,highlighting the urgency of our task. Ultimately, my research is inspired by the courage and insight of my patients, who are always foremost in my mind."

This prize is being given in recognition of her outstanding achievements in movement disorders research - the area of neurology that deals with Parkinson's disease most specifically. The Award is given annually, recognizing outstanding achievement in the field.

The Award is sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology, the Parkinson's disease Foundation and the Academy's Movement Disorders Section and endowed by the Parkinson's Disease Foundation.